


reflections

by MollyRenata



Category: Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Versions
Genre: Developing Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Platonic Male/Female Friendship, Spoilers, ultra sun timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 14:50:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20437841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyRenata/pseuds/MollyRenata
Summary: A man from the world without light and a girl from the radiant world develop an odd, but very special, bond.





	reflections

**Author's Note:**

> I've accidentally given myself a lot of feelings regarding these two, so I decided to scribble up a little fic for them. I may continue this if inspiration strikes - I do have more ideas for it, but I'd like to focus on my other fics first.

* * *

  
"...You're only 17?"  
  
Selene hadn't known what to expect from her alien acquaintance; he kept to himself much of the time, rarely expressing anything that didn't have to do with his goals, and now she had just learned something about him that she _never_ expected. Dulse had the appearance of an adult - he was tall and mature-looking, and his behavior indicated a far more advanced age than what he had just told her.  
  
"I am," the blue-skinned man confirmed, his expression infuriatingly neutral as always. "Did you think I was older?"  
  
"Uh... _yeah._" Selene tilted her head to one side. "Are... all young people in your world like that?"  
  
Dulse was silent for a brief moment, and then he gave a small nod. "...Most. Our culture enforces maturity at a young age."  
  
"Huh..." Selene wasn't sure how to respond to that. She hadn't gotten that vibe from Zossie, who was clearly around the same age as her; still, Dulse had noted before that Zossie was an unusual individual by their world's standards, so perhaps that was why. It came as somewhat less of a surprise that Ultra Megalopolis had that sort of culture - the place had seemed quite _cold,_ from the brief visit Selene had paid to it before.  
  
"...You are still a child yourself, are you not?" Dulse fixed his eyes on Selene, a stare that would have been unsettling if she didn't know he was an alien. "I have heard that the children of Alola begin their island challenges at a young age... and you have completed yours."  
  
"Yeah, I'm 12." Selene had just celebrated her birthday not too long ago, though she had spent most of the day atop Mount Lanakila. "Um... how old is Zossie?"  
  
"The same as you," Dulse answered, and he gave a slight nod. "...Give or take a few months." He took a short breath. "I believe that time passes the same in our world as it does here. It can be... difficult to tell, but that is what tradition dictates."  
  
Selene recalled the black shroud that covered the sky of Ultra Megalopolis; it made sense that they had trouble telling time in that world. "Yeah, I can imagine..." She attempted a smile. "Well, if you're still young, then... maybe we can be friends?"  
  
"As far as I'm concerned, we are already friends." The faintest hint of a smile tugged at Dulse's lips. "You've saved my world, and shown me a great deal about this world... if you were to consider me a friend, I'd be grateful."  
  
It seemed unusual for Dulse to display emotion like that, but Selene wasn't complaining. If someone like him already considered her a friend - well, she found it very flattering, and was grateful herself for his honesty. She offered him a far more prominent smile in response, holding out her hand.  
  
"...Hm?" Dulse raised an eyebrow, an expression of confusion crossing his face. "What is this?"  
  
"Oh... well." Selene withdrew her hand, blushing. "In our world, friends shake hands." She had forgotten for a moment that he was still unfamiliar with her world's cultural norms. "If you don't want to, then that's okay..."  
  
"No." Dulse held out his own hand. "I was simply unaware. Please, show me."  
  
Selene's smile broadened, and she reached out to grasp his hand; she noticed that he felt _warm,_ like any human from her world, and it came as somewhat of a surprise - given his appearance, she'd expected him to be colder, but that was not the case in the slightest. It was a strange feeling, but not unwelcome, and she closed her eyes as she showed him how to shake hands.  
  
"So that is how you shake hands..." Dulse withdrew his hand after a pause, and when Selene looked back up at him, she noticed that he was smiling again. "You've shown me another aspect of this world's culture. Thank you, Selene."  
  
"You're welcome!" Selene's hand fell back to her side, though her own smile remained. "If there's anything else I can show you, I'd be happy to. Just ask, okay?"  
  
"I appreciate your generosity..." Dulse looked over at the doorway to her house - near where their meeting had taken place. "Then, may I see the inside of your residence? I've never seen such buildings in my world..."  
  
From what she remembered of the world without light, Selene hadn't noticed any buildings that were anything like an ordinary house. It was safe to assume that most of the people in that world lived in apartments or dormitories - and if that was the case, it made sense that Dulse had never seen a house before. She did worry a little about how her mother would feel, bringing a strange man into the house at her age, but...  
  
"Sure, you can come on in!" Selene stepped up to the door, holding it open for him. "Friends are _always_ welcome here!"  
  
And, as Dulse followed Selene into her house, she felt a wave of pure joy sweep through her. He was a man from another world - an _alien_ \- and yet she had been able to call him her _friend,_ a feeling that looked to be mutual from what he had indicated. She still wasn't sure of the nuances of his world's culture, but given his personality...  
  
He wasn't an open person by any means, and that just meant that him considering her a friend felt all the more special - a rare case of him opening up to another, showing some degree of emotion, and that made her happier even than the prospect of making a new friend.  
  


* * *

**Author's Note:**

> I've always had the idea in my head that Dulse is younger than he looks. This is primarily because of his behavior - he kind of acts a little clueless at times, even more so than the other members of the Ultra Recon Squad. Since this takes place a short time after the game's story, I'm putting him at 17.


End file.
